Splint for fractures



PATENTED AUG. 13, 1850.

A. HAYS.

' SPLINT. f

UNITE STATES PAEN BEIGE.

ADAM I-IAYS, OF MADISON, INDIANA.

SPLINT FOR FRACTURES.

Speccation forming, part of Letters Patent No. 7,561, dated August 13, 1850; Reissued March 8i, 1853, No. 232.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ADAM Hays, of Madison, in the county of Jefferson and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Construction of Splints for Treating Simple or Compound Fractures of the rlhigh and Leg, such as gunshot wounds or other injuries or diseases which require that the limb or limbs (if both require the treatment) sho-uld be kept throughout the cure in a propel' position, at the same time affording the surgeon free access in dressing, as often as may be necessary, without displacing or allowing the parts to be displaced by the action of the muscles.

The nature of my invention is such as to enable the surgeon to keep up permanent extension and counter-extension throughout the treatment necessary, so as to keep the parts in their proper relative position, and at the same time, aii'ord opportunity for dressing, as often as may be necessary, without making any displacement of parts and they accomplish a most important object in the management of such cases.

To enable others skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I take the splint and dressing, such as has been in public use and known as Physicks improvement of Dessault (see No. l in the drawings), or, in case both limbs require the treatment, Gibsons improvement of Hagedorn (see No. 2 in the drawings) which is also in public use. Opposite the fracture, disease or injury, I cut out a portion of the splint (see letter A in the drawings Nos. l and 2) large enough to give the surgeon free access to dress the parts as often as may be necessary. The slide is cut one-fourth or third of an inch larger on each side of its upper edge than the lower. The upper and lower portions of the splint, thus separated, I unite by a steel or iron brace of an arched shape (see letter B in the drawings Nos. l and 2) so as to hold the two portions of the splint in their proper places. The piece of the splint cut out, or a similar one, may be converted into a slideV (see letter A Nos. 1 and 2) to work in a groove on each end (see letters C, D). The slide can be drawn out, at each dressing, the brace keeping the limb irmly in a proper position whilst the dressing is accomplished, the extension and counter-extension being uniformly kept up, no displacement can take place. After each dressing the slide is to be returned to its proper place, to give support to the parts by means of the slip, placed in the loops at the upper end of the lower splint and the lower end of the upper splint and the slide, the whole is kept fixed. The slip is marked letter C and is shown in the blueJ ink.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The cutting out a portion of the splint to afford an oppo-rtunity for dressing as often as may be necessary, the upper and lower portions of the splint being kept irmly united by means of the brace B, so as by extensions and counter-extensions to keep throughout the treatment the proper relative positions of the parts concerned, the slide being replaced after each dressing; or any other device substantially the same.

ADAM HAYS.

)Vitnesses GARREL TAYLOR, BENJ. LEAVITT, ALEXANDER CAMPBELL.

[FIRST PRiNTnD 1913.] 

